A core tenet of criminal justice is the notion that anyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This ideal, of course, often falls short. The criminal justice system has a long history of grave injustices. Despite this, the goal of justice for all must always be pursued without compromise.
A key component to realizing this is the free flow of relevant information and evidence. This transparency faces hurdles amid a legal fight between Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Barry Steelman and District Attorney Coty Wamp’s office about evidence obtained via a confidential informant.
First, some context. A recent Chattanooga Times Free Press report found several instances of alleged procedural violations of the Chattanooga Police Department’s confidential informant policy. These include accusations of officers submitting false reports and overpaying informants by more than $17,000.
In court last week, Steelman called the TFP report a negative expose on police use of confidential informants, one that resulted, in part, from the mishandling of a recent case from DA Wamp’s office.